Integrating positive psychology and developmental viewpoints into the study of mental health across diverse groups

Abstract

In 1998, nearing the end of his presidential term at the American Psychological Association, Martin Seligman raised a public call for a new focus in psychology, what he referred to as a positive psychology (Seligman 1998). Then, in January of 1999, Martin Seligman invited several up and coming researchers to join him and a few senior colleagues to discuss what a positive psychology may look like in both theory and action. The first author was one of those fortunate to have been selected. We gathered in a small town in sunny Akumal, Mexico, and for several days and nights, we shared our thoughts and experiences of what a bold new psychology may look like. What was not questioned was the potential value of establishing such a psychology in the field. Now, nearly a decade later, the results of those early discussions have not only impacted the imagination of thousands of individuals, but they have also come to bear fruit in the form of hundreds of journal and book publications, confirming the interest and value of positive psychology in our world.